Traffic airship of the rigid type



Sept. 9, 1930. J. scHuLz 1,775,504

7 TRAFFIC AIRSHIP OF THE RIGID TYPE Filed Aug. 14; 1929 Shh PatentedSept. 9-, 1930 JOSE! SGHULZ, F BERLIN, GERMANY rnarrrc Amsnrr or THE31am miner:

Application filed August 14, 1929,-Serial No. 385,727, and in Germany.Tune 7, 1929.

- This invention is based upon the, discovery that with traflic airshipsof the rigid type fractures of members of the horizontal rudder (foraltitude steering), of the vertical 6 rudder (for azimuth steering),'andof the crank-shaft, can be obviated most securely and reliably if theweight of theairship is practically equal to the weightv of thedisplaced air, that is to say, if the aircraft is 10 neither pretty muchheavierthan the air,

like the present flying machines, or pretty much lighter than the airlike the present airships.

Another means for the purpose in view,

and also forming a part, or parts, of the present invention is this thatthe body of the airshi must be provided with fins so desig'ne as to beadapted for use as su portingsurfaces, as well as for use as leakwinds,these fins being arranged at the sides of the body in the horizontalmiddle plane thereof, and each of them being equipped with a drivingpropeller, as well as with a horizontal and a vertical rudder. I do notmean to say that the filled airship, ready for use, must beindispensably accurately as heavy as the displaced air; there is acertain permissible deviation u wardly and downwardly which is a valua1e feature concerning theamount of gas required and the manoeuvringability of the airship, especially on long journeys.

Throwing ofi of ballast and blowing off of gas will hardly ever becomenecessary with airships. of the present improved type, and.

it is as'well out of the uestion that airships of this type will everecome a puppet of the wind. I

The invention is illustrated dia rammatically and by way of example on te accompanying drawing, on which Figure 1 is a bottom-view of an airshidesi ed according to this invention, and igure ing planes and are, inthe example shown, so

designed that the motors for driving the is a front view thereof, drawnto a greatly reduced scale.

-in their entirety also incommon acting as' supporting planes in thecase of a gliding flight.

There are, in the example shown, six lateral fins and two front fins,and each of them is provided with a horizontal rudder 0 and with averticalrudder d. b are the propellers pertaining tosaid six lateralfins and b are the propellers pertaining to the two front fins. The'horizontal rudders of the two lateral fins at the rear are larger, asshown. Owing to the provision of a plurality of horizontal rudders andof vertical rudders all of them are prevented from excessive strain ascan arise, and arises not rarely, with the usual tail rudder known withairships of the types now in use. It is only due to the high-gradematerial that accidents due to that excessive strain occur comparativelyrarely. The tail rudder control members of airships of the usual-designare subject to the entire amount of the stress due to'axial compression,without any subdivision thereof, whereas in the present case suchsubdivision takes place owing to the provision of that plurality ofrudders, as shown and described.

It is also important for thesafe and quick flight of the air-ship thatthe plurality of propellers is located 3ust in the middle plane oja-thebody where their action is most efi'ective in that their driving shaftslie just in said plane. The propellers b are the normally used drivingpropellers proper, whereas the propellers b serve as spare propellersand are used generally only for manoeuvring Between these cars is themain 0 propellers can be housed in them. All fins for passengers besidesthe main space at theloo front for the oflicers of the airship, and thatit is sus ended below the metacentrum of the body. large vertical rudderf which is also provided partly as a spare rudder and partly formanoeuvring purposes.

Themotors in the cars z and 0 are preferably larger and, therefore,stronger than the motors in the fins. Of these latter motors thosedriving the first pair of the propellers b (the first pair behind thepropellers b) are generally used for turning manoeuvers. All propellers,or the propellers and their driving shafts, may be so designed that theycan assume an oblique position with respect to the longitudinal axis ofthe body of the airship, that is to sa can form horizontal anglestherewith. T 's arrangement is particularly suited for turning theairship practicall around the vertical axis of its body, in'whiclz casediagonally located propellers are correspondingly adjusted.

I claim:

1. A traflic airship of the rigid type, comprising, in combination, abody and gas cells in it; a plurality of lateral fins distributed alongboth sides of the body in the horizontal middle plane thereof;propellers carried by said fins. also vertical and horizontal ruddersattached to, and supported by, them and means for driving saidpropellers, the entire weight of the air ship being practically equal tothe weight of the displaced air, substantially as set forth.

2. A traflic airship of the rigid t pe, comprising, in combination, abody an gas cells in it, a car suspended at its bottom; a plurality offins distributed along the sides of said body in the horizontal middleplane thereof;

propellers at the fronts of said fins and motors in the said fins fordri'vin said propellers; a horizontal rudder at t erear of the fins anda vertical rudderat the outer side of the same sub stantially as setforth. 1

3. A traflic airship of the rigid type, comprising, in combination, abody and gas cells in it, a plurality of hollow fins extending along thesides ofsaid body and being regularly distributed thereat; propellers,horizontal rudders, and vertical rudders supported by said fins; meansfor driving said propellers; triangular fins at the front of the saidbody, and propellersand rudders attached also to these fins,substantially as set forth.

4'. A trailic airship of the rigid type, comprising, in combination, abody and gas cells in it, a car suspended at its bottom; a plurality offins distributed along the-sides of said body,in the horizontal middleplane thereof; propellers at the fronts of said fins;"

means for driving said propellers; triangular fins at thehead of thebody, and propellers and rudders carried also by these fins; a cararranged between these fins below the bottom ehind the rear car 0 isprovided aof the body, and a propeller and motor carried by this car,substantially as set forth.

5. A traflic airship of-the rigidtype, comprising, in combinatmn, a bodyand gas cells in it, a'car suspended at its bottom; a'plurality of finsdistributed along the sides of said body in the horizontal middle planethereof; propellers at the fronts of said fins; means for driving saidpropellers; triangular fins at the head of the body, and propellers andrudders carried also by these fins; a car arranged between the rear finsbelow the bottom of the body, and a ropeller and motor carried by th1scar, su stantially as set forth.

6. A trafiic airship of the rigid't pe, comprising, in combination, abody an gas cells in it, a car sus ended at its bottom a plurality offins distri uted along the sides of said body in thehorizontal middlelane thereof; propellers at the fronts 0 said fins; means for drivingsaid propellers; triangular fins at the head of the body, and pro ellersand rudders carried also by these us; a car arranged between these finsbelow the bottomofthe body, and a propeller and motor carried by thiscar; another car arranged between the rear fins at the bottom of thebody, and a propeller and motor also in this car, substantially as setforth.

7. A trafiic airship of the rigid type, comprising, in combination, abody and gas cells in it, a car sus ended at its bottom; a plurality offins dlstributed along the sides of said body in the horizontal middleplane thereof; propellers at the fronts of said fins; a horizontalrudder at the rear of each fin, a vertical rudder at the outer side ofeach fin; three front propellers, means for carrying and means fordriving them; .a car arranged below the bottom and supporting the middleof said three propellers, substantially asset forth. 8. A traflicairship of the rigid t pe, comprising, in combination, a body an gascells in it, a car suspended at its bottom; a plurality of finsdistributed along the sides of said body in the horizontal middle planethereof; propellers at the fronts of said fins; a horizontal rudder'atthe rear of each fin, a vertical rudder at the outer side of each fin;three front propellers, means for carryin and means for driving them; acar arranged below the bottom and supporting the middle of said threepropellers, aseparate rear car also arranged below the bottom .of theairship body, a propeller at, anda motor in, this car, and a separaterear vertical rudder at the tail of the said body behind said lattercar, substantially as set forth. In testimony whereof I J OSEF SCHULZ.

ailix my slgnature.

